Sunday, April 09, 2006

Baba Jujhar Singh Ji's Birth Day - Our Great Brother!


Yesterday I went to Southall to a Kirtan programme. I was about to leave when my friend's mum pulled me over and said she would like me to meet someone. I looked around and it was boy who went to the summer youth camp who was in my group. The boy is about 8 or 10 years old.

Aunty Jee said, "Look closer Manvir Singh." SAT NAAM, WAHEGURU! I was shocked to realise that his HAIR WAS CUT. I knew before the camp he wanted to cut his Kesh because he lived in a pre-dominantly white area and his parents are not enthusiastic or practicing Sikhs. So he wanted to cut his Kesh. After the summer camp I thought his confidence would have improved. It was saddening to see, I was lost for words.

I put my hand over his hair and said, "Where are your Kesh?" He just smiled and didn't say anything. I said, "You've cut your Kesh? Waheguru, Waheguru. May Guru Sahib bless you with Gursikhi Jeevan." I said the same to his parents and said may Guru Sahib bless the child with Guru's Roop and Gursikhi Jeevan. I didn't know what else to say.

I felt so SAD and SHOCKED at seeing the child. Perhaps because I was his group leader in camp and spent a week with him. He is such a nice and cute child, that it made it even sadder to see him DISFIGURE his beautiful GOD-GIVEN body. The Kesh is our CONNECTION to the Guru - "GURU DI MOHR" (the seal of the Guru). It’s painful to see someone turn their back on the Guru. But to be fair its NOT the child's fault (especially a child so young). Children FALTER and SWAY. It is the DUTY and RESPONSBILITY of the PARENTS!

If a child says "I don't want to go to School! It’s boring and I don't like it" do their parents remove their child from school? If a child says "I don't want to wear clothes! I feel hot I want to walk around naked" do the parents allow the child to roam naked outside? If a child says "I don't like eating vegetables, they are disgusting!" do parents say "okay jee, teek hai! Just eat chips and chocolates, that’s fine." 'NO' is the answer. However, we conveniently jump to the barbers when a child says "I don't like my long Kesh! I want a hair cut like the rest of the children." Rab Bhalla Kare

May Guru Ji bless parents with the strength, wisdom and inspiration like that of the previous post so that they INSPIRE, give CONFIDENCE, and give that STRENGTH which a child needs in DIFFICULT TIMES rather than go for the easy SHORT CUT and LOSE their Sikhi, which is so price-less and invaluable that our Gurus and great Gursikhs sacrificed their lives but not their beautiful faith. Waheguru. I pray that child will one day look deepfully into Sikhi and keep his Kesh and take PRIDE in being a Sikh.


Today it is the birthday of Sahibzaada BABA JUJHAR SINGH JI (the second to eldest son of Guru Gobind Singh Ji). Sariaa nu lakh lakh vadhaayee! If we look at the life of Baba Jujhar Singh and the other 3 children of Guru Gobind Singh Ji we will realise how precious Sikhi is. The Sahibzaade are our brothers! Let’s make them our ROLE MODELS. Let’s remember their lives, seek inspiration from their works and thank them and the other great shaheeds (martyrs), Sikhs and Gurus for preserving Sikhi to give to us as a gift.


I came across this short inspiring clip from the film SAKA SIRHAND (produced by Gupt Fauj) on Bhaji Daljeet Singh's blog (Click on the picture to watch the video):

Click here to watch short inspirational clip on Sahibzaadey

To watch the full film on the life and martyrdom of the younger sons of Guru Gobind Singh Ji, aged 5 and 7, and their elderly grandmother, Mata Gujri Kaur Ji, please click here.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

vaaheguru i understand this feeling as well

sometimes it feels like it is beyond our control

but best thing to do is just pray

Anonymous said...

gurfateh paaji...
i used to have very long hair as a child and my mum was very strict on cutting hair.

one day she said 'I'll trim it a bit so it will grow longer and then i wont cut it anymore.'

wen she cut it i thought 'i wonder how i will look with the short hair like the gori girls in my class.' So i cut my hair - my mum shouted at me very much, as did my dad, both of them didn't talk to me properly for weeks.

i really miss and regret cutting, my hair because i feel really guilty when i go to the gurdwara or other youth programs, so i try and avoid going. :(

and now ive stopped cuttin my hair and considering amrit, but my hair is quite short... i have a feeling that the panj pyaare will not take me seriously... so i put an end to that throught there. But when i see people who are 'manmukh' i get scared thinking that is me at the moment..........

fateh paaji

great post... that kid reminded me of me, but in my stroy it was my fault not my parents'.

Manvir Singh (UK) said...

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa,
Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh.

"Princess" bhenji - Very moved by reading your comment.

Please don't avoid going to the Gurdwara or youth programmes. If you feel guilty and upset, that is more of a reason to do Sangat and see Guru Ji. The Sangat and Guru ji is a Sikh's strength, support and inspiration. So please take benefit of this. No one will judge in you Sangat. In Sangat we are all "Sangat" - we leave our labels and baggage outside.

It is a great to hear you stopped cutting your hair and maintained your Saroop. May Waheguru bless you with strength and courage to inspire others.

In regards to taking Amrit, the main issue is "maintaining and respecting the hair" rather than what length the Kes is. For example some people naturally have long hair, some have short - that's nature. The Panj Pyaare are there to help you and guide you, not catch you out.

In the Amrit Sanchaar one's head is covered with a turban - so no-one see's the hair, other than when the Panj place Amrit in the Kesh through slightly opening the turban from the top.

No one is perfect. That is more of a reason to ask Guru Ji to hold our hand and show this light. A life with Guru Ji and striving to live the beautiful way of life Guru Ji has given his Sikhs is so Chardikala.

Recognising one's limits and faults is a first step to becoming Gurmukh. Turn ing your face towards the Guru and saying I WANT TO BE WITH YOU, I MY WHOLE LIFE TO BE IN THE LOVE AND REMEMBERANCE OF YOU, PLEASE BLESS ME WITH YOUR "MAT" (wisdom) and TAKE AWAY PRIDE AND SELF-WILLED THINKING.


Guru Rakha.

Bhul chuk maaf

Prabhu Singh said...

If a child says "I don't want to go to School! It’s boring and I don't like it" do their parents remove their child from school? If a child says "I don't want to wear clothes! I feel hot I want to walk around naked" do the parents allow the child to roam naked outside? If a child says "I don't like eating vegetables, they are disgusting!" do parents say "okay jee, teek hai! Just eat chips and chocolates, that’s fine."

I think with many Americans the answer to all of these qustions is yes. It seems American parents these days concern themselves more with being friends with their kids and doing what ever it takes for the kids to like them.
Children have to be led by example and they trust their parents a lot.

Anonymous said...

thanks for the advice Angad paaji and Manvir paaji. :)
God Bless
Fateh

Anonymous said...

thanks for the advice Angad paaji and Manvir paaji. :)
God Bless
Fateh